Leaf or “strip” tobacco, as well as other types of tobacco, is conventionally packed in rectangular cartons for storage and shipping. These rectangular cartons are typically constructed of cardboard and have standardized sizes to reduce transportation and packing costs. An exemplary cardboard carton 10, also known as a “C48” carton, is illustrated in FIG. 1. The “C48” designation is derived from the fact that 48 of these cartons can be placed within a standard 20 foot shipping container.
Conventionally, vertically operating tobacco packing presses are used to fill containers, such as C48 cartons, with tobacco. Typically, an open C48 carton communicates at its top with an elongated, hollow, upright charger. The charger supports a column of tobacco extending upwardly from the carton. A vertically acting press ram having a press head is aligned above the charger so that the ram can be operated to force the press head downwardly through the charger to, or into, the carton. Alternatively, the tobacco packing press may press the tobacco into a compression chamber, from where it is further forced into the carton. With the press head raised, the tobacco is supplied into the top of the charger, for example by a conveyor positioned below the press head. The tobacco is supplied until the charger contains a predetermined quantity of loose uncompacted tobacco (e.g., strip, loose leaf, bundle, butted loose leaf, cut rag, etc.). The ram is then operated to force the press head downwardly through the charger and compress the entire quantity of tobacco into the carton. Exemplary packing presses are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,641,734 and 4,457,125.
Unfortunately, conventional packing cartons may not adequately protect the tobacco therewithin from environmental and other exposures or from infestation by harmful pests that can damage or destroy the tobacco.